A Gurnee police officer, who is a detective, was arrested by his own department after he allegedly stole numerous products from a store in Gurnee last weekend.
Antoine J. Smith, 32, of Round Lake, was charged with one count of retail theft, a Class A misdemeanor.
A criminal complaint filed in Lake County Circuit Court alleges Smith committed a retail theft at Walmart, 6590 Grand Avenue in Gurnee. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
The complaint said Smith took possession of and carried away numerous products offered for sale from the store.
Smith had “the intention of permanently depriving the business of the possession and benefit of the products” without paying the full retail value of the merchandise, the complaint said. The loss was under $300.
The Gurnee Police Department responded and arrested Smith on the same day of the offense.
Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said Smith engaged in “under-ringing” at the self-checkout.
Under-ringing is the practice of deliberately scanning items at a lower price than their actual value or intentionally not scanning merchandise during the checkout process.
Smith, a detective, has been employed by the Gurnee Police Department for over four years. He was not on duty at the time of the incident.
He was hired in late January 2020 and joined the department as a lateral police officer after working with the Johnson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Office.
He also previously worked as a federal law enforcement officer in Chicago.
Smith is originally from Gurnee and graduated from Warren Township High School before beginning his career in law enforcement.
Gaylor said Smith resigned from his position on the day of his arrest.
“The Gurnee Police Department upholds the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, and any actions contrary to these principles will be met with swift and decisive action. The department remains committed to serving and protecting the community with integrity and transparency,” Gaylor said.
Smith is scheduled to appear for his first court hearing on May 28.